Head for heights

Two decades of Old Firm dominance could end if Hearts keep winning, but it takes special qualities to triumph

Light years ago Charlie Nicholas moved from Celtic to Arsenal for £750,000, Aberdeen became the third Scottish side to triumph in Europe when they captured the Cup Winners’ Cup, and Dundee United won the Premier League title. That was in 1983, and for the next two years the New Firm monopolised the championship chase as Aberdeen lifted the crown in successive seasons while Jim McLean at Tannadice and Alex Ferguson at Pittodrie forged teams who carried even more clout than Rangers or Celtic. The Dons’ reign at the top ended in 1985, the season Richard Gough’s goal gave Scotland victory against England at Hampden in the Rous Cup and football mourned the Heysel and Bradford disasters.

For football supporters who don’t wrap themselves in blue or green-and-white scarves, those events belong to a different world. In the two decades since, the top league in Scotland has been depressingly dominated by